The Story of Us
by ChunkySkittles29
Summary: Time changes everything, but for Abigail Rossi, not so much. She was adopted when she was just 10 years old, but her story still haunts her at night. She thought joining the BAU would make everything go away, but in reality, the only light she sees, is the awkward genius, that doesn't seem to know that he is the only thing she needs.
1. Part 1

**Hi, everyone! I've decided to do this story all over again, because it still didn't feel right. So I've changed it almost completely, and decided to give it another go. This story starts at the episode "Damaged" of Season 3. I have also change the name of my character, and age.**

 **Hope you'll like it.**

 **I do not own "Criminal Minds"**

* * *

 **April 2008**

SSA David Rossi woke up in the middle of the night, covered in sweat. It's the same dreams that haunts him every night. It has for the last 20 years. He could still hear the children screaming, he could still see them covered in blood, calling out to their parents who would never return to them. He jumped out of bed, half expecting his dog to still be there, when he remembered that he was at the cabin for the week. Not important right now.

He sat down by his desk at the home office, going through the file technical analyst Penelope Garcia had put together for him. She was the most colorful woman he had ever met, but he had grown to like her over the months he had been back at BAU, specifically for this unsolved murder. The file seemed to be too light. This couldn't be everything, there had to be more. Not wanting to call in the middle of the night, he decided to go and pay Garcia a visit. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

* * *

Penelope Garcia was fuming. Who in their right mind would bang on her door when it's after midnight? This would just not do. She was a calm spirit by heart, and she would never hurt anyone. Not on purpose that is.

"There's usually no acceptable Excuse for violence, but for you I am making an exception." She hissed, mostly to herself as she opened her front door, still wet from her shower, which she was thoroughly enjoying. She did not expect him to stand there.

"Oh, my god, agent Rossi." She said, trying to cover up more, suddenly feeling a lot more naked than she just did, but he didn't seem to notice.

"This can't be everything." Rossi said, showing her the file.

"I'm sorry, sir?"

"This is not everything." Rossi kept on saying.

"I was taking a show You're coming in." Garcia tried to say, when Rossi barged into her apartment. She looked around nervously, as if she was hiding something.

"This is that Galen file I asked you to put together, That double homicide in Indianapolis?" Rossi said, trying to remind her.

"Uh, no, no, sir, you didn't ask me to put anything together." Garcia argued softly.

"There's more to this case file." He was getting agitated, and Garcia tried her best to calm him down.

"Um uh, sir, can this wait till the morning?" She tried to ask, but he wouldn't listen.

"And where are my notes, my original crime scene notes?" Rossi asked her.

"Again, sir, you didn't ask for the specifics. You just told me to look up an old case." Garcia told him, and it looked like he had smoke coming out of his ears.

"Do I have to tell you how to look for everything? What kind of a researcher are you?" He practically yelled.

"I'm not a researcher, I'm a technical analyst." Garcia told him, and that made him raise an eyebrow.

"What the hell Does that even mean?" Rossi asked her, as someone came out of the bathroom.

"You left the middle of My back totally unloofaed." The voice said, making Rossi turn around, looking straight at Kevin Lynch, and he was naked.

"SSA Rossi." Kevin said, trying his best to cover up.

"Agent Rossi, I am aware that Fraternization Between bureau employees Is against the rules." Garcia started to say, but Rossi just ignored what happened.

"It's the 20th anniversary of this crime. 20 years tomorrow, three children woke up and found their parents murdered. Whoever did it Is still out there. It's time they paid for it." Rossi said before he left the apartment. He took a deep intake of breath when he closed the door. He knew he should've involved his team on this, but it was only one person he would wanted to help him with this.

His daughter.

* * *

A woman was sitting on her front porch of her cabin high up in the mountains, flipping the pages to one of her favorite books. The sun had gone down hours ago, and the bird calls was replaced with the sound of crickets, and life felt good and peaceful for a change. The wind shifted lightly, as she turned another page of her book. The book saddened her every time she read it, but she could not help herself. It was a beautiful story to be a part of, and she loved every second of it.

 ** _"Because_** _I wanted you." He turned from the window to face me. "More than I ever wanted anything in my life," he added softly._

 _I continued staring at him, dumbstruck. Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn't this. Seeing my openmouthed expression, he continued lightly. "When I asked my da how ye knew which was the right woman, he told me when the time came, I'd have no doubt. And I didn't. When I woke in the dark under that tree on the road to Leoch, with you sitting on my chest, cursing me for bleeding to death, I said to myself, 'Jamie Fraser, for all ye canna see what she looks like, and for all she weighs as much as a good draft horse, this is the woman'"_

 _I started toward him, and he backed away, talking rapidly. "I said to myself, 'She's mended ye twice in as many hours, me lad; life amongst the MacKenzies being what it is, it might be as well to wed a woman as can stanch a wound and set broken bones.' And I said to myself, 'Jamie, lad, if her touch feels so bonny on your collarbone, imagine what it might feel like lower down...'"_

 _He dodged around a chair. "Of course, I thought it might ha' just been the effects of spending four months in a monastery, without benefit of female companionship, but then that ride through the dark together"-he paused to sigh theatrically, neatly evading my grab at his sleeve-"with that lovely broad arse wedged between my thighs"-he ducked a blow aimed at his left ear and sidestepped, getting a low table between us-"and that rock-solid head thumping me in the chest"-a small metal ornament bounced off his own head and went clanging to the floor-"I said to myself..."_

 _He was laughing so hard at this point that he had to gasp for breath between phrases. "Jamie...I said...for all she's a Sassenach bitch...with a tongue like an adder's ...with a bum like that...what does it matter if she's a f-face like a sh-sh-eep?"_

 _I tripped him neatly and landed on his stomach with both knees as he hit the floor with a crash that shook the house._

 _"You mean to tell me that you married me out of love?" I demanded. He raised his eyebrows, struggling to draw in breath._

 _"Have I not...just been...saying so?"_

* * *

 **Abby's p.o.v**

The ringing of my phone interrupted my reading. There's moments like these that I curse myself for bringing my phone up here with me. I looked over at my dog, Mudgie, which my dad bought for me, hoping that I would appreciate hunting like he did. Look how well that turned out. Here he was, lying in the morning sun, not chasing the birds across the pond. He was the laziest dog ever.

I looked at the name on the screen, already decided that I didn't want to answer it. It was my dad, or my adoptive father. 14 years ago, he took me in, gave me a home after my mom died. He didn't have the heart to leave a ten-year-old behind. When I turned 18, I asked him to adopt me, and it was the happiest day of his life. I let out a sigh and hit the green button.

 _"Hey, dad."_

 ** _"Hey, kiddo, I'm sorry for disturbing you up at the cabin, but I really need your help."_**

 _"Is everything all right? Are you okay?"_

 ** _"Yes, sweetheart, I'm fine. You know how you said that if I went back to the BAU, and I needed your help with a case, you would help me? Well… it's the 20th anniversary of the Galen case, and I've had enough. I want to find the son of a bitch that did this, and I want you to help me."_**

 _"But dad, you have a whole team to help you with this. I've already told you that I needed some time alone…"_

 ** _"I know, Abby. But I don't want their help on this one. This is all on me, and preferably on you. You know me like nobody else does, and it's you I need, kiddo, please."_**

I hated it when my father begged me like this. He knew that I couldn't say no to him.

 _"Fine. Tell me what you need me to do."_

 ** _"I'm going to be in Indianapolis tomorrow morning. How long do you think you'll take to get here?"_**

 _"I don't know… If I leave now, I'll be there just about the same time. I'm really not looking forward to drive all night, dad."_

 ** _"I know you don't, sweetheart. But I love you for it. Now, I need to pay someone a visit, and I'll see you tomorrow."_**

 _"Yeah… I kinda like you too… Sometimes. Bye Dad."_

* * *

I hung up the phone, letting out a deep sigh. I glance down at my favorite book. I let my fingers run down the worn-out cover, thinking out loud.

"Well, Jamie Frazer… I guess we'll continue our date later." I said. Great! I'm talking to a book.

I left Mudgie on the porch and walked back inside to pack my bag. I made sure to keep my gun with me at all times, mostly because you never know what you're up against. It was no brainer, that I followed in my father's footsteps and became an agent. I wasn't the brightest in my class, but I had a love for knowledge and a killer instinct. I had a great teacher in my dad, who taught from a young age. So, he was proud of me for finishing the FBI academy at Quantico. They wanted me to join the FBI after I graduated, but I decided on doing an internship somewhere else, to gain even more experience. Every now and then, Jason Gideon would join and teach me a few tricks. I felt really lucky, but there was a time in my life, when I wasn't that lucky.

"Come on Mudgie, it's time to leave." I called for my dog. Like I said; my dad hoped that I would fall in love with hunting like he did, but no such luck. I was good with a handgun, though.

If I wasn't at the shooting range, the gym, or going through old files my dad had in his study, I was more than happy to read my beloved books about love, and other stupid stuff. I love myself a classic.

I knew that my dad wouldn't have called me down from our cabin if it wasn't completely necessary. He knew that my nightmares had started again, and he wanted me to collect myself, and then maybe come and join him at Quantico. But I told him before that I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it. Dad wanted me to work on the memories that came back from the time my mother was murdered. I hated to talk about it. For the last 14 years, I have not been able to forget about what happened. And I never understood why they never stopped him.

I knew I couldn't hide forever, and I needed to dig down deep, and finally know what happened to her. It's for my mom, and for myself.

I should probably introduce myself. My name is Abby. Abigail Rossi. I am 25 years old, and the proud adopted daughter of SSA David Rossi, and I was about to pull myself out in the world of psychopaths.

I have a feeling, there's no turning back from here.

* * *

 **There is the first Chapter! I am almost done with the next one, and think that I'll be able to finish it tonight. Please give it a chance, and I think this time, it will work out.**

 **Please let me know what you think!**


	2. Part 2

**So, I'm really happy with this chapter, and I hope that you'll be happy with it as well.**

 **Please let me know what you think!**

 **Enjoy!**

 _ **I do not own "Criminal Minds" only my Oc.**_

* * *

 _"Within the core of each of us "is the child we once were. This child constitutes the foundation of what we have become, who we are, and what we will be."_

 _Neuroscientist Dr.R. Joseph._

* * *

It was the next morning, and Garcia burst through the door of J.J's office. J.J was one of her best friends, and coworker. They told each other everything. Well, almost everything.

"I might be in big trouble." Garcia said, not even bother with knocking on the door.

"Come on in." J.J said sarcastically, being swamped with cases.

"I can't believe he showed up at my apartment. We just had a seminar on fraternization last week." Garcia continued.

"I really have a lot of work to do, Garcia." J.J tried to tell her.

"So, you don't want to hear How agent Rossi showed up at my door in the middle of the night while I was enjoying a post-coital shower with fellow FBI technical Analyst Kevin Lynch?" Garcia asked, gaining J.J's attention, who dropped everything.

"Sit. So, you were in the shower with Kevin Lynch?" J.J asked, trying not to laugh.

"Come on, J.J, I'm being serious. I need your help." Garcia said pleading her.

"With what?"

Agent Rossi. We're not supposed to date fellow bureau employees." Garcia told her.

"From what I hear, Rossi is the reason most of these fraternization rules even exist, ok? He's not gonna Tell anyone. Just relax. Wait-what- What was Rossi doing in your apartment?"

Well, that's a good… I'm not supposed to tell anyone.

"Why?"

"I didn't press the issue. I was all naked and all drippy." Garcia said, wanting to hit her head on the desk.

"Right. Doesn't showering with someone always seem like a better idea before you're actually doing it?" J.J said, thinking back on past experiences.

"Yeah, it is a bit of a workout." Garcia said with a laugh.

"I mean, there comes a point when a girl's just gotta wash her hair alone. You know?"

The two girls laughed and talked some more among themselves. It was important to laugh a little. If not, they would not be able to do this job.

* * *

A little while later, Emily Prentiss calls the remaining BAU team into Rossi's office. It was a mess.

"Hotch is in Connecticut, Right? With Reid. They left last night. They're doing A custodial interview." Prentiss asked both J.J and SSA Derek Morgan.

"Chester Hardwick." J.J confirmed.

"He doesn't need anything else on his mind when he's dealing with a guy like Hardwick." Derek said, looking out on the mess in front of them. "You got any idea what Rossi was working on?"

"I think Garcia might know. He stopped by her place last night." J.J told them.

"What, why?" Emily asked, as Garcia heard them talking.

"I'm really not supposed to say. Because he said he wanted to keep it between us." Garcia told them. Feeling as if she betrayed him.

"He might need our help." Emily pleaded.

"He didn't ask anyone for help." Garcia argued.

"Penelope, Rossi is a guy who color codes his handwritten notes in his notebooks. Blue pen for evidentiary items, red pen for supposition and theory." Emily told her. "The guy is a fussy, anal-retentive neat-freak who never leaves anything Out of its place. I would say this is a scream for help."

Garcia stood there for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do.

"He's in Indianapolis, On a 20-year-old Double homicide. He said it's time Someone pays for it. And he was upset. He took a commercial Flight this morning, He picked up a bureau suv half an hour ago." Garcia said, deciding that this was for the best. The three profilers looked at each other.

"Jet's available." J.J suggested, and it didn't slow them down.

"Let's go." Morgan said, and they went down to the bull pen to pick up their stuff.

"You should also know that he's not all alone." Garcia added, making them all look up.

"What do you mean, baby girl?"

"Rossi told me that he wasn't doing this all by himself, but there's only one person he trusts more than his team." Garcia added, and it was as if something dawned on Emily.

"Of course! I know who he would bring into this." Emily exclaimed, without giving the others more to go on. She knew this person better than anyone.

* * *

 **Abby's p.o.v**

It was the early hours of the morning, when I finally reached Indianapolis. Luckily for me, it wasn't that much traffic in the middle of the night, so it went smoothly. I only needed to stop to let Mudgie go to the bathroom, and to get myself a few cups of coffee. I would never have done this for anyone besides my father. He's lucky that I love him. I parked outside the hotel he told me about, and jumped out of my car, stretching my sore muscles.

"Took you long enough." I heard someone say from somewhere behind me. I turned around, only to find my father. He seemed troubled.

"Well, you didn't have to drive almost 7 hours to get here!" I said, crossing my arms. Dad let out a sigh and wrapped his arms around me, and I let him.

"I'm sorry for pushing you like I did." He whispered in my ear.

"No worries, you are forgiven." I replied.

"I'm glad you're here, Abby. You are the only one that can help me see straight." My dad said, and I rolled my eyes at his drama.

"Yeah, and don't you forget it." I said, playfully punching him.

* * *

I made sure that Mudgie was taken good care of, before going anywhere. I couldn't leave him in the car all day. But when we finally left, we took my dad's car. He knew where to go, I didn't.

We drove down what seemed like a lovely street in a normal neighborhood, and it was hard to imagine that this was the place of horrifying murders.

When the car finally stopped, I saw the house. It seemed like a nice house to grow up in. But knowing what went down here, made it seem haunted. Like the memories of what happened would never go away.

"What do you think?" Dad asked me as we jumped out of the car.

"Well, my first impression is that it's a nice house, on a street that you have good insight from every angle. It's amazing no one noticed anything." I said, looking around. "Except right over there by the shed. Someone could've been hiding there for hours, watching their every move without anyone knowing."

My dad looked back to where I was pointing, but then let out a sigh.

"It's a good thought, kiddo… But that shed wasn't there 20 years ago. That's new." My dad said.

"Or so you think. Maybe you didn't recognize it, because you weren't looking for it the last time." I argued back, and it got him thinking.

It didn't take long until we heard a car approaching us. We both turned around and we figured that it was the police finally joining us.

"Agent Rossi. Gary Willis, Indianapolis Police department." The policeman said, before turning to me. "And you are."

"I'm Abby Cole." I said, introducing myself with my mother's last name. I didn't want you use my father's name when it came to me maybe working for the BAU. I wanted to make a name for myself.

"Soon to be SSA Abby Cole." My dad added. "I asked for Captain Giles."

"Yeah, he died a year ago." Willis said, and I could tell that it saddened my dad.

"That's a shame. He was a good cop. Do you have The Galen files?" Dad said, not beating around the bush.

"Yeah, they're right here." Willis said, handing it to him.

"Do you have anything new?" I asked, taking the file from my dad before he could protest.

"If we do, It's not in this file." Willis answered.

"You don't know? Well, who's working on this?" Dad asked him.

"20 years is a long time cold." Willis started to explain.

"When do you stop looking for a double murderer?" My dad asked outraged.

"You know, I didn't know This was an FBI case." Willis argued, not feeling comfortable at all.

"Well, it isn't, not officially. I was on the original scene the day it happened." My dad explained.

"You probably know more About it than I do, then. At least you had Someone to talk to." Willis said, and it angered my dad so much, he just left, to go back to his car. He could be such a sourpuss sometimes. I turned towards Willis, wanting to apologize for his behavior.

You know, no one's lived here since that day." Willis told me, edging a little closer to me, no doubt trying to flirt with me. "They said it's a haunted house, and that no one dares to go in But there's a housekeeping service that comes in once a week, but otherwise it's empty."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this.

"I know. My dad owns it. He bought it at an auction." I said, looking back at my father.

"Why?"

"He told me that he gave the money to their grandmother. She raised them after… Well, she died some years later and they're still living over there at her house. Or at least, that's what he told me." I said, flipping through the file.

"That's pretty personally Involved. Does he know these people or something?" Willis asked, looking back at my dad.

"No. It was the kids, I guess. He knew he couldn't do much for them. But luckily enough, he could for me.

"Do you want to take a look inside?" Willis asked me.

"No. My dad spent years looking in that house, I don't think it will do me any good being in there. There's nothing there, nothing he missed, no evidence they didn't find." I said with a sigh, turning around to walk back to the car.

"Then why are you here?" Willis called after me, making me stop.

"We're hoping for a miracle." I said, and I really, really did. "I'm sorry to bother you."

I returned to the car, and my dad did not look away from the house.

"Did you get any useful information out of him?" Dad asked, looking at me.

"Well, I almost got his phone number… does that count?" I said, and he only shook his head.

"Well, he's right to try. You are a really beautiful woman." He said, patting my reddish-blonde hair. He knew I hated it, and that's why he did it.

* * *

 **Third person p.o.v**

J.J, Morgan and Emily was already on the jet heading for Indianapolis. Looking through some old files.

"You know, there's not really much to this file, Garcia." Morgan told her.

"Oh, there's a latent fingerprint that's making its second run through aphis as we speak. As soon as I get results I'll let you know." Garcia answered. "And then there's also apparently some crime scene notes that agent Rossi wrote up that I'm still spelunking for.

"So, he was on the actual crime scene with the local detectives?" Emily asked.

"Could be why It bothers him so much." J.J answered, which made a lot of sense.

"Well, I highly doubt this was his first scene." Morgan said, knowing how experienced Rossi is.

"Yeah, but it was a bad one. The weapon was a long-handled ax." Emily added.

"Yeah, but we've seen worse since he's been back." J.J told them.

"There's nothing else cross-referenced, no other crimes tied to this?"

"No, nothing I can find. I mean, certainly nothing with these signature elements.

"Ok, so it's a double homicide, yes, but a single occurrence with no apparent issue of state lines? Was there a request from the local authorities For the FBI's help?" J.J asked Garcia.

"I don't think so."

"So then why is this a BAU case?" Morgan asked.

"I don't think it was."

"All right, Garcia, I want you to double-check any other unsolved murders in Indiana or the surrounding states near this time." Morgan told her. "Something this brutal doesn't feel like a one-time thing."

"You've got it." Garcia confirmed before the screen went blank.

"What is it? What is it about this case for him?" Emily asked.

"I don't know." J.J said, looking at her. "But who is this person he included on this case? And why hasn't he told us about her?"

Emily let out a breath. She knew her. She knew her very well. They got to know one another when Abby was an intern at Interpol before Emily decided to join the BAU. They became so close, Emily told her things she would never tell anybody else.

"Her name is Abigail Cole." Emily told them.

"Wait. Abigail Cole… that name sounds familiar." Morgan said. "Why do I know that name?"

"She graduated from Quantico in 2005. She was the best of her class. Hotch and Gideon actually wanted her to join the team, despite her young age of only 21." Emily answered.

"Wait, is she who I think she is?" Morgan looked through some old files on the computer.

"Who is she?" J.J asked, not knowing where this was going.

"Abigail Cole's name is actually Abigail Rossi. She is Rossi's daughter."

* * *

 **Abby's p.o.v**

We had been standing outside that house for what felt like hours. I knew that he really wanted to see something new, see something he somehow missed the last time.

"I've got to call and figure out if that analyst found something on that print. He dialed the number and put her on speaker.

 ** _"Agent Rossi?"_**

 _"Anything come back yet on that print?"_

 ** _"No. No matches. Nothing on file. Sorry."_**

 _"What about his notes?"_

 _"Those I have. Girl's voice I don't know."_

 _"I'm Abigail Cole. I'm helping Agent Rossi in this investigation."_

 ** _"Okay…Do you have a pda? 'Cause i can e-mail them to you."_**

 _"What's a pda?"_

Seriously… sometimes, I swear my dad's a fossil.

 ** _"It's a personal digital- Never mind."_**

 _"It's okay, Garcia. I have one. Just send it to me. My dad doesn't understand technology."_

 ** _"Oh and, sir, there's something else that you should know. Agents Prentiss and Morgan found your office in disarray this morning."_**

 _"So?"_

 ** _"Well they're concerned about you."_**

 _"Well, tell them not to be."_

 ** _"Yeah, uh, sir, that's the thing, See? I'm sorry…"_**

 _"You told them about this case?"_

 ** _"Yeah, I'm… We're all worried about you."_**

 _"Damn it, I asked you to keep this between us. I already have someone here to help me!"_

 ** _"I'm sorry, sir. I know, and I… They're going to see you."_**

 _"They're coming here? I don't need Anybody's damn help."_

* * *

My dad hung up the phone, frustrated and angry.

"I can't believe her! She's being disrespectful, and she's showing that she can't be trusted with anything!" Dad practically yelled at me. I had to count to ten before answering him.

"Dad, I love you, but you're acting crazy! You know that she wasn't disrespectful. That Garcia woman did what she did because she genuinely cares. Don't take it out on her because you're stubborn." I told him. He wanted to argue, but my look said it all. He should not start with me. "Maybe it's not the worst idea ever, to have them come here. Your team, seems like a group of people that would do anything for each other. Let them be there for you, just like I am."

My dad knew that I was right, but his pride and his sense of doing things alone, prevented him to see it.

"Come on, let's go back to the hotel. There's nothing we can do about this here. Let's sit down and go over what we already have and see if we can find something you haven't seen before."

This time, I took the car keys, and drove us back to the Palmer hotel, where we were staying for the time being. It was a nice hotel, and I couldn't afford it, if my dad wasn't paying. Not that I expected that from him at all.

* * *

He didn't want to talk too much about it, which was no huge surprise for me, so we walked down to the bar to get something to drink. I needed to find a way to get him out of his funk, but it wasn't easy.

"You're buyin', I'm drinkin'." I heard someone say from behind us, and I turned around to see three people coming towards us. One of them, was a girl with long blonde hair, and very kind eyes. She seemed like a really good person.

The other one was a hunky Afro-American, well built and a sparkle in his eyes. The last one, I knew very well. She was like a sister to me, an older and wiser sister whom I loved dearly. Emily.

"I don't think any of us could afford this place otherwise." The man said.

"Yeah, I know I can't." The blonde one said, as I got up from my chair.

"And you think I do?" I asked, looking at Emily. "Hey, Em."

"Hey, squirt!" Emily said, hugging me tightly. Oh, how I missed her after she left. My dad wasn't up to this right now and interrupted our reunion.

"Go home." He said rudely.

"Dad!" I exclaimed, feeling fed up with his behavior.

"We thought you might need some help." Emily said, not being fazed with his grumpiness.

"You're wrong."

"Come on, now, Rossi. bounce some theories off us. Fresh eyes can't hurt." The man said, I really needed to get his name.

"Yeah, I mean… You asked me to come." I added with a smile.

"That's completely different, and this isn't even a BAU case." My dad argued.

"Maybe not yet, But I can make anything a BAU case if I wanted to. It's about paperwork and I know the paperwork." The blonde one said.

"Why do you care?" My dad asked them.

"Because you do, dad." Let them help us. I don't think I can do it alone." I answered, trying to use my puppy dog eyes, knowing he couldn't resist it.

He let out a sigh, and I knew I had won this round. Each of us ordered a drink and made our way over to a remote table, so we could get some privacy.

Emily smiled widely at me, and I was so glad she came here.

"Abby, I would like you to meet SSA Derek Morgan, and Jennifer Jareau. Morgan, J.J, meet Abby Cole. She doesn't like to be called Abigail." Emily said, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Agent Morgan was the first one to hold out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Abby. I remember you from the academy. Gideon and Hotch wasn't too happy about you saying no back then." Morgan said, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I didn't feel ready. I needed to know I could do the job the way it was supposed to be done." I said, and it was the truth.

"Hi, I'm Jennifer, but everyone calls me J.J. I guess you can too." J.J said, and I smiled at her.

"It's nice to meet all of you. But I wish it was under other circumstances." I told them honestly, before we sat down with my father.

* * *

"I was here on a serial rapist in '88. It was pretty short work. The guy wasn't gonna win any IQ. contests. The day after, we, uh, collared him, a local detective was driving me to the airport, and, uh, he hears a call on his walkie of kids screaming in a house not far from where we were. He asks if I mind taking the job in with him." My dad told us, and I knew what was to come. He had told me this part of the story before.

"We were first on the scene. Inside we found…" Dad said, as Morgan dropped something on the table.

"Found this." Morgan said, dropping the file down in front of us.

"The ax had been left behind, but it had been wiped clean. It turns out it belonged to the family. The, uh, oldest daughter, Connie, told me her father bought it on Christmas eve A few months earlier to cut down the Christmas tree. Now I, uh, always associate the whole thing with Christmas. Never been able to put a tree up myself again." Dad said, looking at me.

"That's why I've done that every year for the last 15 years." I said, grabbing his hand.

"So he-he never hurt the kids at all?" J.J asked.

"Not physically."

"But he would have known that the kids were in the house." Morgan added.

"He only hurt the parents and then left." I said, knowing this story by heart.

Ok, so, using a weapon He found at the scene and not eliminating all of the potential witnesses, that makes him disorganized."

"But he left no evidence, which suggests he's organized." I added. This was going to be difficult.

"There was a fingerprint." J.J reminded us.

"But it was behind the bedroom door. I don't even think he knew it was there. There should have been prints In other places, but they were wiped clean. There was an open back door, a- a drinking glass left in the kitchen. And that one good print was not a match anywhere. I've been over this a million times." My dad said in defeat. "I- I keep thinking, if there was just one more piece, one more thing to go on. The answer Was right in front of me."

"He might be dead." Emily added.

"I have to be sure."

"Rossi, if he's dead, you may never really know." Morgan told him, but my dad only shook his head.

"When we arrived on the scene before any of the other units got there, I could hear them before I even got out of the car. It was a warm morning, and the, uh the windows were open in the upstairs bedroom. And their voices floated out into the street. They were crying and calling for their mommy and daddy, for their murdered parents." Dad told us, and I knew this was hard for him. "I've seen so much death and pain, But that sound It's been 20 years and I can still hear them screaming every night, crying. There's only one other time that happened, but I managed to at least keep her safe and out of harms way."

Dad looked at me, and I knew he referred to me after I understood that my mother wasn't coming back to me.

"If I can't tell them for sure that whoever's responsible will never do it again that screaming might never stop."

I hated seeing my father tortured like this. I hoped that we would be able to fix this.

"Well, let's get to their house first thing in the morning. There's not much else we can do tonight anyway." Morgan said, and I couldn't agree more. I was completely drained after the long day I've had, and no doubt, the others as well.

* * *

My dad walked back to his room, and I was about to go back to my room, when Emily came up behind me.

"So… it's nice to see you coming out of your hole for a change." Emily told me.

"I was not in a hole! I was just spending some time alone at the cabin. Am I not allowed to do that?" I asked, smiling at here.

"No, of course you do. I just missed you, that's all." Emily answered, and I knew what she meant. I've missed her too.

"It's good to see you again, Emily. It's not the same without you." I told her, and she let out a sigh.

"Well, if your dad and Hotch gets their way, then maybe we could be working together at the BAU." She said, and I was never going to hear the end of it.

"Well, maybe. I'm not saying yes yet, but I'm not saying no either…" I said, before opening the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, we started the day early. My dad ran my door down at 7 in the morning, wanting me to go an eat breakfast with him, even though he was too nervous to eat. I couldn't say no to that. Not today.

We drove down a different road towards the house the three kids, or now grownups lived in. My dad seemed rather excited to see them again. He stepped out of the car, as the oldest one walked towards him.

"Hi, Connie. I brought the team…" He started to say, but Connie cut him off.

"You need to stop this."

"Excuse me?" Dad asked, not understanding where the anger came from.

"We thought that if we didn't call you back the last couple times, you would just give up and leave us alone." Connie told him off. I felt the urge to talk back to her, but I knew that she was still hurting.

"Well, I know That it hurts, but I'm only trying to make sure someone pays for your parents' deaths." My dad said, trying to reach out to her.

"We don't care anymore. It's been 20 years. We need to be able to move past it. Please!" Connie pleaded him.

"I won't bother you kids again." My dad promised them, and I could see that it was tearing him apart.

"And you'll stop it with the gifts, too?" She asked, and that made me stop. "What are we supposed to do with a bunch of toys? They remind us of the worst day of our lives."

"He never sent you any gifts." I said, standing up for my dad in a little nicer way. But when I said that, they all freaked out a little. They just assumed that it was him that sent them gifts, but why would he do that?

Because of what we just learned, the Galen kids decided to let us come inside, and showing us the toys. And it was a lot over the years. The pile just got bigger.

"This is it?" My dad asked them.

"It's all we could find." Georgie answered, looking at the toys in disgust.

"We threw a lot of them away." The youngest one of them added.

"I wish you would have told me about this." Dad told them.

"We thought you were sending them. First, we kind of liked it, and then it just became a bad reminder." Connie said, as Emily and I went through the things. We looked at each other, and we both concluded with the same thing.

"These are incredibly cheap, aren't they?" Emily said, looking at dad.

"Where would you even buy toys like that?" Morgan asked.

"Or why? How did you receive them?" I asked, looking at the three siblings. I wanted to know as much as I could.

"They were usually left on the front porch at night. Mine was found in my car this time." Connie answered me. It gave me chills, I would've freaked out if something like that happened to me.

"So, he's following you." Dad stated.

"There was a pickup outside the- Uh, where I work. I just… I always thought it was you." Connie said, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.

"What do you remember about the pickup?" I asked, starting to write some stuff down.

"Uh, all I saw was the shape, and the headlights." Connie told me.

"Morgan, obsessional crimes are your specialty." Dad said, patting my back to silently tell me that I was doing a good job.

"Well, there's two kinds of obsessional offenders that would send gifts of survivors. Sadists who want to make the families keep reliving the crime, or guilt-laden offenders, desperately trying to find some type of way to apologize." Morgan informed us, as I kept on thinking by myself. Something was very off about all of this.

"Sadists usually use something they know will remind the family of the person or the crime. Jewelry, newspaper clippings." I listed. "These don't look like the kind of things You would send to inflict pain on someone."

"So, guilt-laden."

"You know, they actually look like the kind of thing a child would send." Emily said, and it got me thinking even harder.

"Ok. Well, it's rare, but an unsub who feels this much guilt sometimes commits the crime unintentionally." Morgan said. "They tend to be Developmentally disabled, Extremely low-IQ offenders and generally, well, they're physically large and they're very strong."

"Strong enough to hurt Somebody accidentally." I added.

"Like Lennie in 'Of Mice and Men'"

"Exactly."

"He needed help, then. There wasn't a fragment of Evidence left at the scene. That's not low IQ.

Well, usually They're assisted by an older relative, and it's almost always…" Morgan started to say…

"A parent…" I finished.

"And this parent rationalizes that the unsub would never try to hurt anybody. See, in a lot of ways, this type of unsub they're sort of overgrown children.

"J.J, when you get Garcia on the phone, tell her we're not looking for other homicides here. Get her to look into a string of less serious offenses in this area- Parks, playgrounds- Involving children, but not necessarily children that have been injured or abused." Morgan told her, and she just jumped into it.

I looked over at the siblings, and they didn't understand much of what was going on. So I wanted them to get a better grip on things.

"See, an unsub like this, when they seek out children, they want to play with them.

They don't really want to hurt them. But it's their size. It frightens people." I told them, hoping they would understand.

"This could be that piece You were looking for." Emily said, looking at my dad, and he finally felt as if this was going somewhere.

* * *

J.J returned to the room with Garcia on speaker, she worked fast, and she already found out some things.

 ** _"Ok, crime-fighters, I got the information you were looking for, but it may lead to more Questions than answers."_**

Oh, of course.

 ** _"There are scads of open petty crimes, as described, In the very area of Indiana in the last 20 years. But here's the rub- A large portion of them only occur in the last week of march and the first week of April every year. And then it gets weirder, 'Cause the same kind of crimes crop up in Springfield, Illinois, for the next 2 weeks, and then Dess Moines, Iowa, in the couple of weeks after that."_**

"So, he's traveling." I said, chipping in.

"On a specific schedule for years?" J.J asked.

"Maybe he's a salesman?" Emily asks, but both my dad and I just stood there looking at the toys. Cheap toys a kid would by and give away as gifts. Why did this look so familiar?

Then suddenly I realized….

"How about a carnival?" Both my dad and I said at the same time.

 _ **"Okay, that was creepy beyond measures."**_

"We went to a carnival the day before. It's the last thing We did as a family." Connie told us, and it all made more sense now.

"Did anything happen?" My dad asked.

"No. No, we had to leave early. There was this clown that Made me a balloon animal. It didn't even look right. But then he kind of followed me around. He didn't really do anything, but my mom got afraid, so we left." Connie replied, and her siblings just watched her.

"You never told us that." Georgie said.

"I didn't even remember it until now."

"Penelope, pull permits. Find out is this carnival Is still in business." My dad demanded.

 ** _"This Betty is ready. Hey new girl… You're doing a great job."_**

She hangs up and I just shook my head. I didn't even consider this a job. Maybe I was actually good at this. It certainly felt good that I could help others get closure, putting the bad guys behind bars.

* * *

We let the Galen siblings' house a few minutes later. Turns out it was a Carnival in town.

"You guys look around. Prentiss and Abby, come with me." My dad said, and he didn't want me to wander off on my own. I may be strong, but I was so small, if we were right about this, the unsub would snap me like a twig. I needed to bulk up a couple of sizes I think.

"Jeff! Get more tie-downs over that Ferris hauler! I don't want to have to slow down halfway across Illinois because that moron left pieces hanging off again! Idiots!" A man exclaimed.

"You look like You're in charge." My dad said, as the tall man turned towards us.

"You pulling out in a hurry?" Emily asks, as I look around for a bit.

"That's the way this business works. Gotta be set up Where the money is. Right now That ain't here." The man said, and I couldn't help myself.

"Where you headed to next, Springfield? We'd like to talk to you about one of your clowns." I told him, and I could tell that his body language changed drastically.

"Clowns? This ain't a circus. Clowns are for the circus." The man replied.

"You don't have any clowns in your carnival? How about a guy Who makes balloon animals?" Emily asked him.

"We might. Sometimes." He said vaguely.

"How long's he been with you?" I pressed on, and he started to get agitated.

"What is this?"

"This guy would have been complained about. Kids are uncomfortable around him. You'd have gotten reports from parents." My dad told him.

"I can't remember every complaint I get, mister." He practically hissed at my dad. That's a bad call.

"It's not mister. It's agent Rossi, FBI. Now, do you have a son?"

"A son?"

"The guy we want to talk to, he'd have been a big problem for you. You'd have gotten rid of him A long time ago, unless…"

"It would have been difficult for him to hold down a job for long, Much less 20 years." I said, and Emily agreed.

"20 years? I really ain't got time for this." The man tried one more time to get away from the situation.

"Make time." My dad pressed on, and I could see the man caving in.

"All right. He didn't mean to hurt those people. It was my fault as much as his. I got busy with one of the rides breaking down and he wandered off. He just wanted to see the little girl again. He liked her. He wanted to play. He would never hurt Anyone. He went into the father's Room by mistake." He told us, and it was hard to listen to this, but I promised myself I would be professional. "He come after him with an axe and he hit Joey with it. So, he got mad, that's all. I mean, that's understandable.

I mean, isn't that Understandable? He gets hit with an axe and he get mad? He was sorry as soon as he did it. He even put them back in bed. He just got angry. And I was too late! I was too late! I couldn't save 'me. But every year I take him back and I make him remember what he did. I'd even make him pick something from the joints to give them. He never forgets. Never. I make sure of that. Never! Look He's a good boy."

"Daddy!" I heard a voice yell, and I instinctively, started to run. I could tell that this was just a scared little boy, and he didn't understand, and Morgan didn't seem to understand either.

"Morgan, stop! He doesn't understand!" I said trying to get him to stop hurting him as he put on the cuffs. This was not the way to do it.

I knelt down in front of him and touched his shoulder.

"Joey, listen to me. My name is Abby, and I know that you're scared, but I need you to listen to me and your father." I said softly, waiting for him to calm down a little.

"I know that you don't understand what's going on right now, but I promise that if you just calm down, and go with this men without a fuss, your daddy can come with you." I told him, and the man just crumbled together. He was crying and shaking.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt them. I just wanted to play." He wailed, and I couldn't help but feeling sorry for him, so I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"I know, sweetheart… I know." I shushed him, and it calmed him enough to let the police handle him back to their car.

I let out a breath, feeling the adrenalin leave my body, and I tried to stop my hands from shaking, I never knew it would be this intense.

* * *

When everything calmed down, and everything was processed, I decided that it was time for me to get back home. I was packing my car, and letting Mudgie do his business before I had to drive for 10 hours straight.

"Hey, Cole." I heard Morgan said from behind me.

"Hey, Agent Morgan. I'm sorry for how I talked to you under the arrest, but I just needed him to calm down. He was scared." I said in a rush, and he tried to stop my ranting.

"Hey, it's okay, pretty girl." He assured me. "You did the right thing. You tried to make the best of the situation. You did good, I'm starting to see why Hotch and Gideon wanted you on the team in the first place. I think you could be a good asset to our team, and I want you to think about it." Morgan told me, before bumping his fist into my shoulder in a playful manor.

"Oh, and one more thing, Abigail… You can call me Derek, or Morgan. Agent seems so formal, don't you think?" Morgan said with a smirk before heading over to the SUV.

"Hey, Morgan!" I called back, and he turned around to face me.

"It's Abby. If I hear you call me Abigail again, I will have to hurt you." I said playfully, but I meant it. No one other than my mother had called me Abigail, and that died with her.

Morgan laughed a little, before getting into the car, what surprised me, was that Emily was standing there with her bags, smiling at me.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked her.

"Well, you dad told me that you had to drive your car all the way back to Quantico, and I thought that it would be a good time to catch up, and taking shifts driving." Emily answered, and I couldn't be happier. I was going on a road trip with one of my best friends.

* * *

 **Third Person p.o.v**

The woman looked at the building in front of her… she was nervous, and she had all reason to be. She had told this place no in the past, because she wasn't ready. Now, she did feel ready. She took a deep breath and walked over to the front desk to get herself a visitor pass, before entering the building and going through security.

The elevator ride was dreadful, and she swore she could feel the sweat on her forehead.

But as the doors opened, and she saw the floor for the first time, the sound of phone calls and instant buzzing from the people answering them, the smell, for some reason gave her confidence. She walked straight through the bull pen up to the office in the left corner and knocked on the door. A deep voice called for her to enter. She kept the smile on her face and opened the door.

"Agent Hotchner, I think you requested me?"

* * *

 ** _Dr. Spencer Reid was sitting at his desk next to Prentiss, when the glass door opened up behind him. For some reason, he felt the need to look up. And he was glad he did._**

 ** _There, coming straight towards him with confidence and grace, the most beautiful, angelic woman he had ever seen in his life. He felt his palms sweat, his heart rate increase, and he didn't understand why._**

 ** _"Hey, Emily… who is that?" He asked in a whisper. Emily looked up and broke into a smile._**

 ** _"That is someone that's going to change your life, in some way, and you don't even know how yet." Emily vaguely answered, before returning to her paperwork._**

 ** _But he could only stare at the beautiful woman as she walked through Hotch's office door._**

 ** _She would change his life indeed._**

* * *

 **I know there wasn't much of Reid in this chapter, but that's why I loved the ending so much! And I hope you'll like it too.**

 **I don't know which episodes I will do, but I don't think I will do them all, or I will not be finished with the story... Ever. I have to map that out, but please give me notes on what you want to happen. And if you want me to continue this story.**

 **I'm really nervous about this.**


	3. Part 3

**Hi! So sorry for the wait! It's been over a year since I last updated this story. Time do sure fly by. I didn't even noticed until I looked at it yesterday... Anyway. I had almost written the chapter done, when I realised that it would be about 12/15,000 words long, so I decided to break it up into smaller pieces.**

 **So, here's the first one, enjoy!**

* * *

 ** _"Agent Hotchner? I think you've requested me."_**

The silence that followed, made me think that I've messed up big time. Agent Hotchner just stared at me, surprised to see me here. He got up, looking at me with that stern professional look, and it made me squirm. All of the sudden, he broke out in an enormous grin. Which is rather rare for this man?

"My god! It's so good to see you, Abby!" Hotch exclaimed, surprising me by giving me a hug.

I let out a breath, glad to know that he wasn't angry with me.

"You too, Agent Hotchner." I said, patting his back a little awkwardly.

"Come, sit!" Hotch said, gesturing to a chair for me. I sat down, not knowing what to expect.

"So…" Hotch said, looking at me intently. "I heard that you did a great job with Rossi's case."

"Oh, I only did that because he asked me to." I tried to just laugh it away. I wanted to seem modest.

"You and I both know that's not true, and you know it." Hotch said, pointing his finger at me. "It's in your nature to solve cases. To read body language. So, have you thought more about working for the B.A.U?"

"Yes, I have. But I don't think it's right that I just swoop in here and take someone's job. I want to earn my place here. And I want to do this right for a change. I'm done with not knowing." I said, and I knew that Hotch understood. He knew why I finally decide to take his offer.

"So, what do you suggest?" Hotch asked, looking straight at me. Why don't I start by just being a Junior Agent of some kind and let me work and earn my way to become SSA someday."

Hotch looked at me in surprise, as if he was profiling me to down to the bone.

"Okay, how about this… You can help my team with the cases that come in, like an internship of some kind, and when I see fit, you'll take the final course to become one." Hotch suggested, and I kind of felt relieved. I didn't want anyone to think that I didn't work hard for my career. That everything was given to me because I was lucky enough to call David Rossi my father.

"Yes! That's exactly something I could be interested in." I beamed happily. Hotch couldn't help but laugh at me.

"Let us go and get the paperwork done, yes?" Hotch suggested, and I was more than willing to do so.

"Please. I want to do this now, or I never will." I answered, mostly joking. Hotch actually laughed as he opened the door, gesturing for me to follow him. I shook my head and walked through the door. I was happy to be here. Somehow, this felt like home. Maybe because this is what I'm supposed to do.

"So, how's Jack doing?" I asked as we stepped into the elevator, oblivious to the stares we received from the agents around.

"He's doing great. He's turning 3 in October." Hotch said proudly.

"Are you serious? He was just born!" I exclaimed. I only met Jack once when Hotch and Gideon wanted to recruit me back in 2005, when he was just a newborn. He was such a precious little boy.

"I'm afraid not." Hotch argued back and showed me a picture from his wallet.

"Wow. He looks just like… Haley." I said after a pause. "Which is a good thing."

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Hotch agreed with a laugh.

We walked out of the elevator a few floors up, and the first person I saw, was the one I least wanted to see.

"Ah, Agent Hotchner! Just the man I wanted to see. I need your report on how it went in Connecticut." The woman said, before turning her gaze at me. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

"Nice to see you too, Chief Strauss." I replied, trying to be nice about it.

"So. You're finally convinced that you're not too good for the FBI." She said harshly. I don't understand her hostility.

"I never said I was too good for the Bureau. Three years ago, I told you that I wasn't ready. That I wanted even more experience. I wanted to be ready for the job, and not jump into something I didn't know what was." I answered, standing my ground. Strauss eyed me for a few seconds, as if she was deciding how to deal with me.

"I'll be watching you, Cole. If I see as much as you are stepping over the line, you'll be out on your ass." She warned me, before walking away from us.

"Well… that went well." I huffed. "My senses tell me, she doesn't like me very much." I said with a sigh.

"Another reason why I think that you'll do great in our team. She doesn't like any of us." Hotch told me, and I couldn't help but laugh. Who knew that Agent Hotchner could actually be funny.

Hotch gave me some papers for me to look at, before he got a call he had to take, and left me by myself in his office. It didn't bother me though. I wanted to read through everything and not miss anything.

Someone knocked on the door, and I looked up to see my dad.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. As if I was surprised to see him here.

"In the future, please tell me beforehand about you coming here, so I don't have to hear about it from someone else." Dad said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, but you knew that I would do this. Why is it such a big deal?" I asked him. I knew where he was going with this. It was all for show. He couldn't be prouder of me of finally coming here. "You're messing with me, aren't you?"

Dad was just standing there for a moment, eyeing me suspiciously. But then he just started laughing.

"It's great to see you here, kid!" He said, wrapping his arms around me. "I just wished you would've told me. I could've brought you in with me."

"You know dad, it's not normal to have your father drive you to what could potentially be your new job." I told him.

"Ah, but when are you going to realize that you're not some normal kid. You're my kid, sweetheart." Dad said, ruffling my hair, messing it up completely.

"Hey! Watch the hair!" I exclaimed. Trying to get away from him.

* * *

I scanned the room quickly, before setting my eyes on someone that I knew. I creeped up on her, wanting to scare her. Without me being able to actually scare her, she somehow, knew that I was standing behind her.

"You know, that didn't work during your internship, and it's not going to work now." The woman said, and I blew out a breath.

"Damn it! How could you possibly know it was me?" I argued as she turned around.

"Because you change your breathing pattern distinctively, and let's face it… you're a heavy breather." She said, making me blush.

"I am not a heavy breather… Am I?" I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"No, I'm just messing with you. It's so great to see you again! I missed you after you helped us with your father's case." Emily told me.

"Yeah, I missed you too. That's why I decided to maybe…" I started to say as I heard a voice behind me.

"Well, well. If it isn't Abigail." I recognized the voice. "Oh... my bad. You don't like that name. What are you doing here, Abby?"

"Hey, Derek. I was just talking to Hotch. I finally took him up on that offer." I told him with a smile.

"That's great! Welcome to the team, Pretty girl." Derek said grabbing my hand, almost shaking it off.

"Thanks." I said with a blush. Prentiss placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, there's someone I'm just dying for you to meet." Emily told me. She walked up the stairs and down some sort of corridor and ended up at a door I wouldn't have seen if I didn't know it was there. She knocked on it before opening it.

"Abby, I want you to meet…." She started to say but was interrupted by the most colorful woman that I've ever seen in my life.

"New girl!" She exclaimed bouncing up and down. "It's so nice to finally meet you!"

The woman jumped up and hugged me as if she had known me for years.

"Abby, this is Penelope Garcia. This is the woman in the other end of the phone. There's nothing this woman can't find for you." Emily said, and I embraced her back.

"Nice to meet you, Penelope." I said just as enthusiastically.

"Please, everyone calls me Garcia. You can include yourself in that too." She told me as she released me.

"You did such a good job with the team on the last case, and oh my god, you're so, so, so pretty. I can't see how Rossi could produce something that beautiful?" Garcia kept rambling on, and I had to stop her at some point.

"Thank you. And there's no wonder I don't look anything like my dad. Because I'm adopted." I told her, without getting into details. The only ones that knew, was my father and Emily.

"Ah, of course. I knew that. Do you want to grab a drink or a cup of coffee or something?" Garcia asked, taking a deep breath.

"Yes, please." I answered with a sigh.

"Great. We should ask J.J if she wants to come along, and so should you, Em." Emily agreed right away, and I figured that this job would be the adventure of my life.

"Hey, Garcia…" A voice interrupted us, but it stopped the second he saw me in the room.

"Oh, hi!" He exclaimed and started blushing. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"You didn't. Reid, come meet our newest member. Agent Cole." Emily told him, and he stepped into the room and I finally got a good look at him. He looked a little awkward about this whole situation, but he was no doubt handsome and attractive.

"Abby, this is our boy-genius, Dr. Spencer Reid." Garcia introduced us.

"Hello. I said, holding out my hand. "I'm Abigail Cole, but call me Abby, because I don't like that anyone calls me that."

"Welcome to the team. You can call me Reid. Or Spencer, or Spence. Or if you want to be formal, you can just call me Dr. Reid." He rambled on and he became even cuter.

"Nice to meet you Dr. Reid." I greeted.

"We should go find your dad before we leave." Emily said and showed me out of the room, but not before I heard Garcia say to Reid;

"Smooth, boy-genius." She mocked him, and I felt bad for him. I hoped they didn't give him a hard time about this.

* * *

The next few weeks went by fast, and we solved a few cases. I got along great with the others on the team, but sometimes, it was hard for my father to forget that I wasn't his daughter out there, instead of an Agent. But that would get better with time.

I had been at the BAU for little over a month and the anniversary for my mother's death approached quickly. I knew it would be hard for me, so when Emily told me about the meeting for Agents that has lost their loved ones, I decided to give it a try. But I didn't tell my dad about it. I didn't want to worry him even more.

Luckily, this was at night and I didn't think that I would run into anyone I knew. It was hard enough as it is to open up about it, without getting those pity looks from them. It was a lot of people there and we all sat down in a ring, facing each other and I listened to their losses and their troubles. I was nervous to share my story with them, but I didn't need to go into details.

"Is there someone else that wish to share before we call it a day?" The councilor asked the group, and despite my fear of speaking of it, I decided to just do it. I raised my hand and figured it was no going back now.

"Good, the floor is yours." The councilor said, and I took a deep breath and just started talking.

"Hello... My name is Abby." I said, heart hammering in my chest.

"Hello, Abby."

"I'm an FBI agent, and when I was 10, my mother was killed by a serial killer…."

* * *

 **Third person p.o.v**

In another room in the same building, a rather nervous agent stood in a room in front of a lot of people. Not someone he knew, but that made it a little easier to talk about.

"Hi. Um… My name's, uh, Spencer, And I'm a I don't really know What I am." He stuttered out.

"Hello, Spencer." The group said in return.

"This is my… This is my first meeting."

"Welcome." The group said in unison.

"Thanks. Thank you. Um I guess I, uh- I know i had a- A problem with Dilaudid, but, um I stopped. Like 10 months ago, I stopped. I thought it was over, But recently I'm- I've really been- Your literature Uses the term craving. It started like two months ago. I… A- a suspect was murdered in front of me, A- a kid, and I thought that I could save the kid, But I couldn't,

I've seen a lot of that stuff before, but for some reason, that kid's face is really, uh Stuck in my brain. You know? It's really, Uh-I can't And I- I want to forget About him, and I just want to escape." Spencer told them, and he shared his problems as much as he could right now. It felt good to get it off his chest, but he was cut off when his phone buzzed, and he had to leave.

He walked quickly out of the room but stopped when he heard a voice he had grown to recognize over the last few weeks.

"Hello, my name is Abby." She said as Spencer stood in the doorway. She looked stunning as always, but she looked sad for some reason.

"Hello, Abby."

"I'm an FBI agent, and when I was 10, my mother was killed by a serial killer." Abby told them, and Spencer felt his stomach turn. He should not stand here and listen to this, but he couldn't stop himself.

"Wow… it's weird to say that out loud… It's been 14 years, and it was just before my 11thbirthday. I have a hard time remembering her voice, but I remember her smell, you know? I remember the day she disappeared, how lost I felt. How helpless I felt. The police never caught the guy, not even the FBI could find him. Or what I think to be a man. After my mom, he just stopped. The only thing they ever found of my mother, was her head, her body had disappeared, but being almost 11, and finding her head in the backyard, is leaves scars."

Spencer shivered when Abby told the group about her experience.

"I think that's why I wanted to join FBI. I want to prevent something like that from ever happening again. I miss her, so much sometimes, and it all scares me… My mom was very young when she had me. She was barely 15 when I was born and when she died, she was only 25, turning 26 later that same year, and it feels so very wrong that I'm about to turn 25, which makes me her age, and I don't know how to cope with the thought…" Abby told them, keeping her tears at bay. She as well got a message on her phone which interrupted her speaking.

"I'm so sorry. There's a case and I need to get going. I'm sorry." Abby said and gathered her things quickly. She got up and headed for the door. Spencer panicked and ran out the door in hope that she wouldn't catch him eavesdropping on her.

* * *

He was about to reach his car, when a voice behind him stopped him.

"Spencer?" It wasn't Abby but some man.

"Sorry. I'm- I'm late." Spencer told him.

"Places to go, People to profile. You know who I am?" He asked.

"Of course, I do, Sir." Spencer answered. "I just-I didn't, um, expect to see a man of your position here."

"Here, there's no sirs. I'm just John here. And this is not something you talk about at the office. Especially our office." John said.

"Sorry. I really do have to go." Spencer said once again.

"Here. Here. Take this. That's my one-year medallion. Took me 6 years to get it. For the past 13 years, I've never left home without it. Because I know if I forget that, I'll lose my gun, my credentials, my home- everything. Hold on to it." John told him.

"I only have 10 months." Spencer said, not understanding why he did this.

"I know."

"It's your most prized possession."

"It is."

"You're just giving it to me?" Spencer asked.

"No. A couple of months, when you get your year, you give it back to me."

"I really don't understand."

"You will." John said before leaving him alone. Spencer stood there looking at it, and at the same time, he saw Abby drive her car out of the lot, which reminded him that he needed to get into gear, so he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it, and again... I'm so sorry for the long wait... I'll try not to use too much time on the next update.**


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